The Art of Dazzle Camouflage Ships: History and Design

Introduction

Dazzle Camouflage, an innovative tactic born amidst the tumult of World War I, stands as a testament to human ingenuity and creativity in the face of adversity. Known as “camuflaje deslumbrante” in Spanish, this technique not only transformed the appearance of ships but also reshaped the course of maritime warfare. At Just the Sea, we delve into the captivating saga of Dazzle Camouflage Ships, also affectionately termed Razzle Dazzle Ships, which emerged as a pivotal defense against German U-Boat attacks during wartime. Through our tribute of meticulously crafted hand-painted scale models, we honor this artistic and strategic marvel that fused artistry with life-saving innovation.

1917 Dazzle painting scheme for application on a ship

At Just the Sea, we tell you the curious story of Dazzle Camouflage Ships (dazzling ships), also known as Razzle Dazzle Ships, used in humanitarian defense during wartime, and present our tribute in the form of small hand-painted scale models.

Razzle Dazzle Ships: Artistic Defense During Wartime

During World War I, one of Germany’s most feared and effective weapons was its fleet of submarines (U-Boats), which patrolled the Atlantic, stealthily approaching British merchant ships underwater and destroying them with torpedoes. During the war, they sank over 5,700 ships, resulting in the deaths of more than 12,700 civilians.

Norman Wilkinson’s Ingenious Solution: Dazzle Painting

Initially, the British were uncertain about how to prevent such disasters at sea. Camouflage worked in land warfare, but its effectiveness on the sea was questionable, as smoke from chimneys clearly revealed the presence of ships.

In 1917, Norman Wilkinson, a voluntary reserve lieutenant of the Royal Navy—painter, graphic designer, and illustrator in civilian life—aware that making a ship invisible was impossible, devised a radical yet ingenious solution: instead of trying to hide ships, he attempted to visually confuse the enemy using “disruptive camouflage” by painting the hulls with stripes and irregular abstract shapes in vibrant colors. This way, it would be more difficult for German submarines to determine the size, speed, distance, and direction of the ship.

Nature’s Influence and Cubist Inspiration on Dazzle Camouflage

When German submarines were submerged, their only way to spot a target was through the periscope, which could penetrate the water for a brief moment due to the risk of detection. They had to use this limited visual information to calculate the direction and timing of torpedo launches to hit the targeted ship.

Wilkinson’s camouflage scheme, Dazzle, was designed to interfere with these calculations by making it difficult to discern which end of the ship was which and where it was heading. Torpedoes allowed little margin for error in calculations to hit their target. If Dazzle camouflage could cause even a few degrees of error in these calculations, it could be enough to avoid impact and save a British ship.

Testing the Effectiveness of Dazzle: Practical Innovation

Wilkinson’s idea for Dazzle Camouflage had a precedent in nature, where some animals display patterns in their fur color—such as zebras’ stripes—that also seem to serve this purpose, confusing predators by turning a herd into what appears to be a mass of moving lines, making it difficult to choose a specific prey.

It also appears that the Cubist paintings of Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and Juan Gris, which emerged just before World War I, and the way Cubism distorted its subjects, influenced this military camouflage. Upon seeing a camouflaged piece of artillery on the streets of Paris early in the war, Picasso was heard commenting, “We are the ones who created that.”

British Admiralty’s Endorsement and Adoption of Dazzle Camouflage

To test his theory, Wilkinson placed models of ships painted in this manner on a revolving table and observed them through a periscope, using screens, lights, and backgrounds designed to see how Dazzle painting schemes looked at various times of day and night. He used one of these models to impress King George V, who looked through the periscope and assumed the ship model was heading southwest, only to be surprised to discover it was actually moving southeast.

Wilkinson’s Global Influence: Dazzle Camouflage Spreads

Upon reviewing Wilkinson’s experiments, the British Admiralty authorized him to establish a camouflage unit at the Royal Academy in London. He quickly recruited other artists who were given commissions from the Naval Reserve, and they got to work. By October 1917, British officials were convinced enough of the effectiveness of Dazzle and ordered all merchant ships to receive these special paint jobs. By the end of the war, over 2,300 British ships had been painted with this dazzling camouflage.

Dazzle’s Strategic Success and Statistical Validation

In 1918, after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt, Wilkinson helped establish a camouflage unit led by American Impressionist painter Everett Warner.

Dazzle Camouflage: From Ships to Aircraft and Fashion

When the U.S. Navy adopted Wilkinson’s scheme for both merchant and combat ships, there were statistical tests supporting this decision. Dazzle was applied to a total of 1,256 merchant and combat ships between March 1 and November 11, 1918. Of the 96 ships over 2,500 tons that were sunk, only 18 were camouflaged merchant ships. None of the camouflaged combat ships were sunk.

The Enduring Legacy and Contemporary Relevance of Dazzle

It appears that Dazzle provided an added layer of protection, which combined with other tactics such as zigzagging and traveling in convoys – where vulnerable ships were kept in the center surrounded by armed and fast ships capable of destroying submarines – resulted in incredibly effective synergy. The conclusion was that thanks to this combination of factors, ships and lives could be saved.

Dazzle camouflage was also used during World War II by several countries – though not as extensively as in the First World War – and was also used on airplanes, buildings, and combat and transport vehicles.

In the early 20th century, enthusiasm for Dazzle extended beyond protection, art, and the sea, influencing strongly in fashion. Since then, this camouflage-trick has been a constant reference and source of inspiration for artists and designers.

Today, electronic detection technology has rendered Dazzle obsolete as a protection system for ships; however, this visually disruptive concept is still used in military uniforms and vehicles.

Long Live Razzle Dazzle!

Tribute to Dazzle Ships at Just the Sea

At Just the Sea, we want to pay tribute to the Dazzle Ships, which brought art on board as a defensive weapon to save human lives, and succeeded.

We have created 5 types of ships – tanker, freighter, fast freighter (Blockade runner), passenger ship, and fruit carrier – with unique paint schemes, inspired by the models made during World War I for British and American ships, hand-painted, all different and numbered.

In the models made by Just the Sea, like the originals, we do not seek perfection _ as their use was not decorative but purely practical _ but rather a dazzling and effective camouflage effect, so in some parts the brushstroke is noticeable and an intentionally imperfect finish is sought, creating a “vintage effect”, which is part of the charm of these dazzling small models.

We have drawn inspiration from the colors and geometry used back then. Wilkinson had hesitated to use white paint in the early stages of the scheme, but after considerable experience, it was discovered to be the best color to paint parts of the ship that needed to be invisible. It was also found that the bow and stern outline of a ship could be broken up using colors in strong contrast, always including white. Although achieving invisibility through painting was impossible, some parts could be made relatively invisible using contrast. We have also taken this into account in our models.

Designed, made in resin, and hand-painted with water-based paint in Madrid, by Sea Lovers for Sea Lovers.

Here you can see some models from our “dazzling collection” _ Dazzle Tribute _ .

A collection of different ships, perfect for collecting or giving to people with restless minds and sensitive souls connected to the sea.

We hope you enjoy these models as much as we have enjoyed the entire documentation and creation process.

Enjoy, walking consciously The Sea Side of Life!

Cover Photograph: PT Boat, World War II

Conclusion

In commemorating the legacy of Dazzle Camouflage Ships, Just the Sea celebrates the convergence of art and history on the high seas. From Norman Wilkinson’s visionary designs to their widespread adoption by navies across the globe, these ships not only defied conventional warfare tactics but also left an indelible mark on the annals of naval strategy. While electronic advancements have rendered Dazzle obsolete as a protective measure, its enduring influence persists in military design and continues to inspire creative minds worldwide. As we present our collection of homage-rendered models, we invite you to explore and appreciate the enduring legacy of these dazzling vessels that once navigated the seas as both canvas and shield.